Paraffin candle.



EDWIN BURKE, OF MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, ASSIGNOR TO (30., OF MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

an a i a. i a

MANILA REFINING PABAFFIN CANDLE.

No Drawing.

To all whom z't may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN BURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manila, Philippine Islands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paraffin Candles, of which the following is a specification.

Candles made from pure paraffin are comparatively translucent and as this appearance is objectionable from a commercial standpoint it is customary to employ in connection with the parafiin a substantial amount of stearin or other fatty acids fats or waxes which when mixed with the paraflin have the property of rendering the candles opaque. Stearic' acid and stearin how ever are comparatively expensive and their addition to the material of which the candles are made very materially increases the cost thereof.

It is the purpose of my present invention to improve the appearance of parafiin candles by rendering them opaque at much less expense than is-required to produce the same result with stearic acid and without diminishing the luminosity thereof. For this purpose I add to the paraffin, preferably in molten condition, a metallic salt of an organic acid, the metal which is preferably employed being lead and the acid, oleic, stearic, or palmitic or mixtures of the same, the salts of such acids being commonly known as soaps. Other metals, however may be substituted for lead, and likewise other acids than oleic, stearic and palmitic acids may be employed though it is of importance that the acids used form with the metal, salts soluble in molten paraflin and which therefore give a uniform degree of opacity to the compound. It is also desirable that the salts employed possess fuel value in order that the luminosity of the candles be not diminished by the presence ofan in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 19, 1915.

Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,348.

ert body. Preferably however, the material used in this composition by me is lead soap soluble in molten parafiin.

Methods of preparing the soap are well known and an example of such a process consists in heating a concentrated solution of lead acetate with a suitable amount of stearic acid, the insoluble soap formed sinking to the bottom. The amount of lead soap or other similar material added to the material from which the candles are to be formed, varies according to the degree of opacity desired but I have found that one to four per-cent. of lead soap gives a very desirable effect.

The paraflin and salt may be mixed in any desired manner but it is found sufiicient to melt the parafiin and add the salt thereto pose described consisting of paraflin containing a lead stearate.

3. A composition of matter for the purrpose described, consisting. of parafiin containing a small percentage of a salt of heavy metal and a fatty acid.

EDWIN BURKE.

Witnesses:

A. J. CULLANTES, PEDRO N. PALANIO. 3 

